Environmental experts urge Lango to protect the environment amid rising climate risks

27 January 2026, 3:43 pm

By Agness Agilo

Environmental experts have expressed concern over threats posed by environmental degradation caused by human activities.

To tackle the issue, Leonard Otika, the Lira City Environment Officer, has urged the people of Lango to abandon destructive practices such as tree cutting, building in wetlands, and bush burning in order to safeguard the environment.

He warned that the ongoing destruction of natural resources is a major driver of the extreme and unpredictable weather currently affecting the country.

“Environmental destruction is now the biggest cause of the unstable weather Uganda is experiencing,” Otika said. “Farmers no longer know when to plant or harvest, posing a real threat of hunger.”

Otika encouraged households to adopt energy-efficient cooking methods that reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal, pointing out that charcoal burning remains a leading cause of deforestation.

“If we want to save our forests, we must reduce dependence on firewood. Gas and improved energy-saving stoves are the way forward, but gas must be affordable and accessible to all Ugandans,” he said.

He also proposed that the government explore ways to produce cheaper gas from urban waste, which could benefit both rural and urban communities. He condemned investors building factories in wetlands, linking such practices to recurring floods that destroy homes, crops, and livelihoods.

The environment officer called for collective action from both the government and citizens to restore and protect Uganda’s environment, warning that failure to act could lead to even more severe climate-related disasters.

The Acting Environment Officer of Lira District Local Government, Walter Ocen, explained that, despite the dry season, current temperatures have risen to 30°C, which is above the recommended body temperature of 27°C, due to human activities such as wetland degradation, deforestation, and fossil fuel burning.

Ocen expressed concern that if the trend continues, it will have serious consequences for the environment. He warned the people of Lango to desist from activities that negatively impact the environment, noting that in the past the dry season lasted a shorter period, but due to environmental degradation it is now prolonged with unbearable temperatures.

Ocen strongly urged the public to conserve the environment through tree planting, wetland preservation, and the proper disposal of plastic waste, among other measures.

Meanwhile, Bosco Twontoo, the clan head of Okii me Okabo, recently called on the people of Lango to embrace activities that restore the environment, including tree planting to recover lost forest cover and improve the region’s ecological systems.

With initiatives by environmental experts and other stakeholders to curb environmental degradation, there is hope that the rising harsh weather conditions and other environmental hazards, largely caused by human activities, will be mitigated.